Those who climb K2 must acquire
entry via Pakistan as the Chinese side is inaccessible.

K2 is a rocky mountain up to
6,000m, beyond which it becomes an ocean of snow. The traditional
route to K2's base camp goes from Skardu, which is linked with
Islamabad by a good road. From Skardu the route goes via
Shigar-Dassu-Askole up to Concordia over the Baltoro glacier. K2
was firstly discovered and measured by the Survey of India in 1856,
and first named for English topographer Henry Godwin - Austen, who
explored and surveyed the region. K2 is taken from the first
letter of Karakorum, and the number indicates that it was the second
peak in the range to be measured. K2 was firstly climbed on July, 31
1954 by Italian climbers team lead by Ardito Desio and accompanying
him were Lino Lacedelli and Achille Compagnoni. A March 1987
measurement of K2 indicated that it might be higher than Everest, but
later that year, Everest was re-measured by a similar method and
found to indeed be 778 ft (237m) taller.

In some mountainous areas the
rivers are permanently frozen. These are called glaciers.

Heights of mountains are generally
given as heights above sea level.

It is like a giant pyramid formed
of ice with a maze of precipices. It is almost a regular cone of ice
resting on a granite base.

Climate

Weather

The
rainfall, mainly from the monsoons, decreases from the east to the
west. Comparatively, in winter, due to the influence of tropical west
wind drift, the northwest areas have more precipitation in the form
of rain and snow. From these snow covered ranges with big glaciers,
flow the great rivers that have made the Indo-Gangetic plain one of
the most fertile in the world and the heart Land of India.

Climatic
Variation In
The Himalayas the climate varies according to the elevation. It gets
colder as the elevation increases and gets wetter as the elevation
drops. As a result the temperature and climatic changes in the
Himalayan regions change very quickly. All of a sudden there can be
occurrences of monsoons, floods, high winds, snowstorms and other
types of precipitation, which makes the climate over here quite an
unpredictable and dangerous one.The two major seasons of the
Himalayan region are winter and summer. During the winter the region
receives the maximum snow with very icy temperatures. Summers are
quite mild over here, making it a good summer holiday hideouts.
Usually throughout the year the Alpine Himalayan region receives
Snow.

Beyond
The Monsoon

The
regions such as Ladakhis & Zanskar that lie to the North of the
main Himalayan range and escape the full impact of the monsoon.
Humidity is always low in these regions, and receives only a few
centimetres of rainfall a year. These regions also experience some of
the coldest temperatures anywhere in the world, and it doesn’t
get any warmer until the spring season in late April or early May.
In June, daytime temperatures frequently rise to the mid 200Cs,
the snow on the passes melts and most of the treks can be undertaken
from then on until the middle of October. Heavy rainstorms can
occasionally be experienced in July and August, and River crossing
should be undertaken with great care at this time. By September the
conditions are ideal, and they normally remain so until late October
even though night-time temperatures may fall below freezing. By
November, the early winter snow falls on the passes closest to the
Himalayas. In winter the villagers still travel, enduring the intense
cold, to follow the valley floors where River crossings are no longer
a problem.After October the daytime temperatures drop, but the
weather is generally settled until the middle of November when the
first of the heavy winter snows fall on the high mountain passes.
Winter months from December to March are often bleak. April and May
are characterised by heavy precipitation, which falls as snow in the
mountains, precluding trekking over the passes until the spring snows
melt in June.Most of the hill states of the West Himalayas
including Kangra and Chamba, the Kullu valley, Shimla in Himachal and
most regions of the Garhwal and Kumaon in Uttaranchal come under the
influence of the Indian monsoon. Both Darjeeling and Sikkim are
subject to the Indian monsoon that sweeps up from the Bay of Bengal,
bringing heavy rainfall from early June until the end of September.
The post-monsoon months of October and November provide settled
conditions, with clear views of the mountains, although night-time
temperatures above 3,500m frequently fall below freezing.

The
Himalaya is the world's mightiest mountain range. No other chain can
boast of peaks of 8,000 metres (26,000 feet). In the Himalaya there
are 14 such peaks and hundreds of summits over 7,000 metres (23,000
feet) high. The range of mountains stretches 2,700-kms (1,700 miles)
across an area between Assam and Kashmir. In the east, Namche Barwa
stands sentinel; the western extremity is guarded by the awesome
Nanga Parbat.

Rivers in the Himalayas

Major
Himalayan Rivers:

Indus,
Sutlej, Ganga, Yamuna, Brahmaputra

Rippling
along rough surfaces and the beautiful meadows, the numerous rivers
that dot Indian mainland are central to our history as well as to
Indian mythology. The main rivers of the Himalayas group are the
Indus, the legendary Ganga and the Brahmaputra. These rivers are both
snow-fed and rain-fed and therefore perennially flow throughout the
year. Himalayan rivers discharge about 70% of their inflow into the
sea. This includes about 5% from central Indian rivers. They join the
Ganga and drain into the Bay of Bengal.

The Trans
Himalayan Indus River rises near the Mansarovar Lake on the Tibetan
plateau. It enters the Himalayas in south-eastern Ladakhis near its
confluence with the River Gurtang at an elevation of 4,200m.
Thereafter it follows a north by northwest course between the
towering Ladakh range in the north and the Zanskar Range in the
south. There are a number of human settlements that lie along the
Indus River in Ladakh, namely Leh, Marol, Skardu and

Bunji.
.... Sutlej
River

River
Sutlej takes birth on the southern slopes of the holiest of mountains
- Kailash, near the holiest of lakes Mansarovar. After a long run,
parallel to the Himalayas, it finally penetrates these at Shipki
pass. Later it cuts through the Zanskar range, makes a diagonal
thrust through the Himalayas and blasts a deep gorge at the base of
the Kinner Kailash massif. Within Kinnaur district, the Sutlej runs
parallel to the Hindustan-Tibet Road. At Karcham, in Kinnaur, it is
joined by the crystal clear, blue river Baspa that drains the Sangla
valley .....

Cheanab
River or River Chandra Bhaga

Chandra
River is one of the two rivers; the other one is Bhaga, which merges
to form the Chenab in the Lahaul region of Himachal Pradesh. It rises
in the snows lying at the base of the main Himalayan range in the
Lahaul and Spiti district. The picturesque lake of Chandra Tal forms
at this rivers source site .....

The Beas
forms the valleys of Kullu and Kangra, famed for their beauty. But
ironically, its source is an insignificant looking igloo like
structure near Rohtang Pass in Pir Panjal range to the north of
Kullu. The main thrust of this river is southward to Larji and then
to the west. Where it enters Mandi district and further still into
Kangra......

Ravi
River

There is
something intrinsically romantic about the river Ravi. In divided
Punjab used to ring with the haunting strains of love songs sung on
the banks of the Ravi, which flowed past the elite city of Lahore.
Now one only has to hear the outpourings of young hearts in Chamba
celebrating the beauty of love and nature to know that the spirit of
the Ravi is the same everywhere. Chamba town rests on a mountain
shelf on the right bank of the river. As a settlement it is Indian to
the core. Here, as in many ancient towns, flourished a civilisation
that provided patronage to the arts so that the temple sculptures of
Chamba are truly amazing.......

The Jhelum
flows from the spring known as Verinag, 80-km south of Srinagar. This
wide, swift flowing, muddy but picturesque river sweeps through
Srinagar and is famed for its nine old bridges among many things else
......

The valley
of Spiti derives its name from the Spiti River, which rises just
below the 16,000 ft high Kunzum Pass. After flowing for about 60
miles, it joins the Sutlej River near the village
of Namgiya in Kinnaur district ......

The holiest of all the rivers, Ganga or the
Ganges is a perennial river, which is held in high regard by the
Hindus. The Ganga river has an exalted position in the Hindu ethos.
The Gangotri Glacier, a vast expanse of ice five miles by fifteen, at
the foothills of the Himalayas (14,000 ft) in north Uttar Pradesh is
the source of Bhagirathi, which joins with Alaknanda, to form Ganga
at the craggy, canyon-carved town of Devprayag.

Yamuna
River

Yamuna,
also called as “Jamuna”, originates from the Bundar
Poonch glaciers in district Uttarkashi of the state of Uttaranchal.
It rises from Jamunotri, in the Himalayas. River Tons, which flows
along the boundary of Himachal Pradesh, west of district Tehri
Garhwal joins Yamuna River at Kalsi and thereafter joins the plains.
From Kalsi, the river flows along the boundary of Himachal Pradesh.
Yamuna flows in a southerly direction through the Himalayan foothills
and onto the northern Indian plain, along the Uttar Pradesh-Haryana
State border. The Eastern and Western Yamuna canals are fed from the
river at that point.

Brahmaputra
River

One of the
great rivers of Asia, the Brahmaputra commences its 3,000-km journey
to the Bay of Bengal from the slopes of Kailash in western Tibet. As
Tibet's great river, the Tsangpo, transverses east across the
high-altitude Tibetan plateau north of the Great Himalayan Range,
carving out myriad channels and sandbanks on its way. As it tumbles
from the Himalayan heights towards the plains of the subcontinent it
twists back on itself, cutting a deep and still unnavigated gorge,
until finally turning south it emerges in Arunachal Pradesh as the
Dihong. Just beyond Pasighat, it meets the Dibang and Lohit where it
finally becomes the Brahmaputra.

Mountain
Users

People
And Tribes

Ethnic
Himalayan People:

Negroids

Mongoloids

Aryans

The
Hindu epics and Puranas refer to the original inhabitants of the
Himalayas- the Kulinds, Kiratas and Kilinds, Kiratas and Kinnars and
later texts mention the Khasas and the Darads. Today three ethnic
types constitute the Himalayan population: Negroids, Mongoloids and
Aryans. From very early times there have been migrations into the
Himalayas and within it. Spiritual quest motivated a few to migrate
there, and a small minority responded to the call of these mountains
to test their own endurance and will power. Pursuit of profit
propelled others.

Bhutiyas
Of Bhutan of Mongolian origin People Of SikkimNepali People
The people of Nepal are a complex mix of racial patterns. These are
part of the mongoloid, tribally organized groups of hill farmers who
dominate the middle hills. The Sherpas of the Solo Khumbu region in
the northeast of the country are among the many Bhutiya groups who
speak dialects of Tibetan. People Of Himachal Pradesh In Kumaon
and Garhwal, in the central Himalayas, Khasas and Doms were the
original inhabitants. People Of UttaranchalIn Himachal Pradesh,
the descendants of these Khasas are known as “Kanets”

The
LadakhisThe Ladakhis are of ethnic stock different from that of the
people of Kumaon and Garhwal. According to folklore, Ladakh was once
totally populated by Darads. The latest archaeological finds give
credence to this popular belief. The Mons belonging to the Mongoloid
stock, and who are now far more numerous there, seem to have migrated
at a much later date.Most people in the Himalayas sustain
themselves by a combination of agriculture and animal husbandry.
Until very recently, those inhabiting the higher reaches migrated to
lower altitudes during the winter months. Trade played an important
role in the lives of the frontier villages in Ladakh, Himachal,
Kumaon and Garhwal. Before the advent of the British, the contacts of
Sikkim and Bhutan with Tibet were closer and more frequent.

Impact of
Visitors

The
Himalayas provide considerable evidence for developing knowledge and
understanding of environmental change and sustainable development.
The increasing number of visitors to the Himalayas has both benefits
and costs for the area and its people. Perhaps the greatest impact
has been on Everest and its surrounding area. Despite the remote
setting, Everest is the greatest goal for many mountaineers, and
their activities impact on both the environment and the lives of the
people of the Himalayas.

The
use of oxygen canisters by mountaineers means that large numbers of
empty canisters have been dumped at base camps around the Himalayas.
A scheme has been set up to try to resolve this problem.

Life in a
Mountain Environment

Mountains
don’t just exist as a challenge for visiting climbers. For the
Sherpas of Tibet and Nepal and other indigenous people, climbing is a
necessity, and the steep slopes and mountain weather shape their way
of living.

Nature of
Environments

Forest
Cover - The Glory of the Himalayas

Most
of the Himalayan regions have a harsh environment therefore few
animals and plants can survive over here. The few plants that do
inhabit the Alpine consist of rhododendrons, the tea plant and shrub
type plants. They have to adapt to the freezing temperatures, high
winds and to a short growing season. That is why most of the plants
grow low to the ground.

All
mountain ecosystems have one major characteristic in common - rapid
changes in altitude, climate, soil, and vegetation over very short
distances.

Plants
that may be found on mountains include conifers, oak, chestnut,
maple, junipers, stonecrops, campions, mosses, ferns and climbers.

Expeditions

In
1954, an Italian expedition came to Pakistan to try its luck on K2.
It consisted of twelve climbers and four scientists and was led by
veteran mountaineer, Professor Ardito Desio, who had come to these
mountains with Italian expeditions before the World War II.

Another
American attempt on K2 was made in 1953. The expedition leader was
Dr. Charles Houston, who had also led the 1938 American expedition on
this peak.

The
next year saw another American expedition on K2. It was led by Fritz
Hermann Ernst Wiessner, a German-American chemist and mountaineer.
The expedition, along with nine Sherpas, made very good progress on
the already-identified south-east ridge.

Two
famous British mountaineers, Harold William Tilman and Eric Earle
Shipton, explored and surveyed the north face of K2 and its
subsidiary glaciers in 1937. In 1938, the American Alpine Club
sponsored a reconnaissance party for a visit to K2 area. The party
reached a height of 7925 meters after setting up eight camps.

It
was probably for the first time in 1902 that an organized expedition
of Oscar J.L. Eckenstein traveled to K-2 from Baltoro glacier. The
expedition was without any guide. Its aim was to explore approaches
to the mountain and possibly have a try on the peak. It was, however,
harsh weather which prevented it from attempting the peak. In 1909, a
big Italian expedition under the leadership of resolute Luigi Amadeo
Giuseppe (Duke of Abruzzi) the grandson of King Victor Emmanuel II of
Italy reconnoitred K2.

Originality
of the Himalayas

The
Himalayas is different to other mountain environments because:

It stretches across six nations
including Bhutan, the Tibet province of China, India, Nepal, Pakistan
and Afghanistan.

They
are the source of three of the world's major river systems, the
Indus, the Ganga-Brahmaputra, and the Yangtze.

Approximately
1.3 billion people live in the drainage basin of the Himalayan
Rivers.

Together,
the Himalayan mountain system is the planet's highest and home to the
world's highest peaks: the Eight-thousanders, including Mount Everest
and K2.

Himalayan
system has over 100 mountains exceeding 7,200 meters.

The
Himalayas are among the youngest mountain ranges on the planet.

Conclusion

I
hope you have found this report useful.

K2
and the Himalayas are a challenging range of mountains for both local
inhabitants, tourists and visitors.

As
the weather in the area can change very rapidly, it can be a great
cause of concern for all the mountain users.Also, the Himalayas
are an extremely important water source for the local surroundings.